Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-27
DAILY HERALD.
soRcERy IN EGYPT,
rhe Khedivc Tells Two Remark
nhnc sterses Of occult knowledge


The Khedfvc Tells Two Remark
nhnc stsries Of occult Knowledge.
Stories Of Oriental magic have al
vavs their own fascination. One is
half inclined to credit wise men OF the
East with possessing a tradition OF oc-
cult science long lost among the rest
jess changes OF the West. Such a
story is now under my notice. The
Khediye sent for me one evening and
said:
II have something curious to tell
Won. There is Turk here in Cairo
Who wears ring which he
pretends is gifted with magic virtues.
/ have seen him and the rlng-it
Is q plain hoop of gold set with a red
ptone. which is said to have come from
Mecca. The Turk also showed me a
Mate Of silver engraved with verses
from the Koran. He explained that
h<, could not work the charm himself,
but required child under 10 years of
sspe. The child takes the ring, the
silver plate is put ON his head, and in
= little while the color OF the stone
changes to white. Thereupon the
child looks into the stone and sees IN
it visions, and can answer any ques-
fions."
The khedive went on to say that,
being quite increduluus. he asked per-
mission to take the ring home and try
IL in private. The owner consented.
So the khedive took the ring to Is
MALTA palace, where there happened
to be little girl eight years old be-
longing to the nurse-an Ignorant
child, unable to read or write. When
the plate of silver was laid on her
head and the ring given into her hand
almost Immediately she cried out
4sThe stone has turned to white" The
khedive then asked questions about
the persons whom the child had not
teen and received correct descrip-
sions. Another person present asked :
"How many children have %
1.-TWO sons and a daughter"
''That is right. What is the eldest
son like ?'
"He wears coat with a row of
buttons down the front, and striped
trousers. and has saber."
"What is the second son like ?"
"He has coat with two rows of
buttons in FROM little gold cushions
ON his shoulders and an anchor en-
brOidered on his cuffs"
The one was in the Turkish army,
the other in the Turkish navy, and
both were absolutely unknown to the
child. Collusion was impossible, for
even wizard would find it hard to
penetrate into the ladies' apartments
Of the khedive's palace. Moreover,
the questions were too rapid and too
varied to admit of shuffiing or guess
ing answers. The khedive's conclu-
sion was: II can not believe it, and
vet can not understand it."
After some talk about English mes
merists and clairvoyants the Khedive
related that once, before he came to
the throne, he consulted soothsayer
in company with the Minister of War.
"What is the news for Egypt" he
asked.
The soothsayer demanded two
minutes delay and then replied,
"War with Abyssinia.
W III tllc ESN ptldii di III SOhHuOi'
"Give me six minutes. replied the
aocthsayer.
At the end of that time his face be-
came very much troubled, his voice
faltered, and his whole body shook az
he answered: ""The Egyptians will
be defeated and their army destroyed
small remnant shall be left" The
prince laughed at the prophecy and for
got it.; but two months later the
same Minister of War showed him q
dispatch from Upper Egypt, stating
that the army had been utterly routed
and four battalions out of six annihi.
lated. After showing the dispatch the
Minister remarked: EDO you remem.
ber our friend, the scorcerer?" and
the prince recollected. Now, as the
Khedive. he regards the thing as a GU
rious coincidence.-[Court Life in
Egypt.